Amazon delivery drivers to be taught CPR to cut cardiac arrest deaths

Saved by the bell! Thousands of Amazon delivery drivers will be taught CPR to slash the number of Britons dying of cardiac arrest

British Heart Foundation training Amazon drivers and ones from 100 other firms

Organisation has already trained Amazon instructors who will pass on their skills

Every year in the UK there are 30,000 cardiac arrests outside of hospital

Amazon delivery drivers will be taught CPR so they can help cut deaths from cardiac arrests.

The British Heart Foundation is working in partnership with Amazon and more than 100 other delivery companies across the UK to offer the free training to thousands of drivers.

The organisation has already trained some Amazon staff in CPR who will now pass on their new skills to drivers in 30-minute training sessions.

Every year in the UK, there are more than 30,000 cardiac arrests outside of hospital. The survival rate is less than one in ten.

In some instances, CPR can more than double a person’s chances of survival, the BHF said.

Fewer than one in 10 people in the UK survive a cardiac arrest if they’re not already in a hospital because not enough people know CPR, experts say, whereas in Norway – where children are taught it at school – around a quarter of people survive

HOW TO GIVE CPR

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) can be used to try to restart someone’s heart if it has stopped.

CPR should only be used in an emergency situation if someone is unconscious and not breathing.

People without CPR training should stick to hands-only chest compressions, the NHS says.

To carry out a chest compression:

Place the heel of your hand on the breastbone at the centre of the person’s chest. Place your other hand on top of your first hand and interlock your fingers.

Position yourself with your shoulders above your hands.

Using your body weight (not just your arms), press straight down by 5-6cm (2-2.5 inches) on their chest.

Keeping your hands on their chest, release the compression and allow the chest to return to its original position.

Repeat these compressions at a rate of 100 to 120 times per minute until an ambulance arrives or you become exhausted.

Source: NHS

The BHF’s director of healthcare innovation, Jacob West, said: ‘CPR is a lifesaving skill that only takes 30 minutes to learn.

‘Unfortunately, in the UK there are far too many people dying of a cardiac arrest, often because people don’t have the skills or confidence to perform CPR.

‘It’s vital that CPR training reaches as many people as possible.

‘Drivers deliver Amazon orders to millions of people across the UK every year. This unique partnership will mean we put potential lifesavers on to every street in the UK.

‘A cardiac arrest can happen anywhere to anyone, but more lives can be saved thanks to Amazon’s commitment to training drivers of more than 100 independent delivery companies.’

Amazon’s Kerry-Anne Lawlor said: ‘We regularly see examples where drivers delivering Amazon parcels for our delivery service partners act selflessly when out on their routes to help others.

‘We are delighted to work with the British Heart Foundation to be able to offer drivers lifesaving CPR training to respond in emergency situations.’

A previous study by University of Warwick researchers on behalf of the BHF found that almost one in three people would not perform CPR on a person in need.

They found that only 70 per cent of people said they would try to resuscitate someone if they saw them collapse.

And not everyone would call an ambulance if someone passed out and stopped breathing – four per cent of people said they weren’t likely to phone 999 in that situation.

They warned people’s lives are being put at risk because not enough Brits know how to do CPR, but say ‘doing something to help is always better than doing nothing’.

‘You may not feel confident performing CPR if you haven’t been trained or you don’t remember your training, but without your early action the chances someone will survive a cardiac arrest are virtually zero,’ said BHF chief executive Simon Gillespie.

A defibrillator can also restart the heart. The machines are found in public places such as offices.

For every minute that passes without CPR or defibrillation, the chance of survival reduces by up to 10 per cent.

The survival figures are damning when compared to Norway, where children learn CPR at school and as many as a quarter survive.

WHAT IS A DEFIBRILLATOR AND HOW DO YOU USE IT?

A defibrillator is a device that gives a high energy electric shock to the heart of someone who is in cardiac arrest.

This high energy shock is called defibrillation, and it’s an essential part in trying to save the life of someone who’s in cardiac arrest.

If you come across someone in cardiac arrest, The British Heart Foundation says to call 999, start CPR, ask someone to bring a defibrillator if there’s one nearby, then turn on the defibrillator and follow its instructions.

There are clear instructions on how to attach the defibrillator pads.

It then assesses the heart rhythm and will only instruct you to deliver a shock if it’s needed.

You cannot deliver a shock accidentally, the defibrillator will only allow you to shock if it is needed.

You don’t need to be trained to use a defibrillator – anyone can use it.